Fast fashion isn’t what it seems to be. The Center for Biological Diversity stated that the fast fashion industry is responsible for as much as 10% of global carbon dioxide emissions. This fact is honestly ridiculous to me. No matter what way people will try to twist it, possibly arguing the cost efficiency, the numbers are still insanely high. No price tag should be worth the slow demise of our earth; especially because it’s polluting the oxygen we breathe.

Fast fashion affects even those who don’t indulge in it. The effects of fast fashion are linked to habitat degradation, climate change, and impacts on terrestrial and aquatic environments. The atmosphere is 62 miles above us, how are we affecting somewhere that far up?  It honestly baffles me that we can be so destructive to the point of destroying a place only …
Read More »

What the sigma is going on? From Baby Boomers to Gen-Alpha, the English language has expanded, but not in ways that are thought. The recent generations of Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha have added new words to their vocabulary. Some of these words include gyatt, sigma, skibidi toilet, fanum tax, rizz, sus and cap. The list goes on forever.

The latest slang has many people confused and curious. Where did this come from? Where did my child learn this? According to the LA Times, “ because of the development of the internet, and especially social media platforms like Twitter and TikTok, we are suddenly exposed to an unprecedented variety of linguistic variation.” Social Media has had an extreme impact on the recent generations especially in how they speak. They do and say what they see online. It’s addicting and causes an influence on …
Read More »

Birta, a teenager in Vestmannaeyjar, prepares to hunt for lost pufflings. Jessica Bishopp documented her dedication in this hopeful, reflective short film.

A teenager wielding a cardboard box, out in the dark hours of the night, eyes surveying the darkness under the nebulous glow of a yellow street light.

I recently watched “Puffling,” a short film by Jessica Bishopp that deals with coming of age and the theme of uncertainty, which, as a rising senior in high school, deeply resonated with me. 

The documentary follows two teens, Birta and Selma, on their mission to save baby puffins in Vestmannaeyjar, an archipelago in Iceland. Pufflings use moonlight to find their way to the ocean, however, as more city lights appear, an increasing number of fledglings have mistakenly landed in an urban jungle. Thus, venturing out into the city, scouting for lost pufflings, …
Read More »

by Molly Mullen

When it comes to the causes of mental illness in today’s age, social media is the first thing that gets blamed. Yes, it can lead to illness due to the effects of comparison, editing apps, and more, however there are even more causes right in our backyard.

Senior Maya Collins at Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy stresses over a summer assignment in the Indiana University commons area. Photo by Molly Mullen.

High schools have been persistently adding more and more pressure on students, sometimes without even realizing it. Advisors push resume building, perfect grades, volunteering and extracurriculars, which is helpful to some students. However, these constant suggestions can add on to already full schedules for students. Especially with the environment commonly referred to as a “pressure cooker” at Holy Trinity, there is constant stress on every student to attend …
Read More »

By William Ximenes

Students should be exposed to new ideas and banning books limits the information that students can access. Book banning is a form of censorship which occurs when individuals, organizations, or government officials remove books because they are opposed to its content, ideas, and themes. The content of many books has become dramatically politicized and has had vitriolic attacks by politicians. Books with LGTBQ themes and themes about racial inequality have been banned. This reflects a recent wave of conservatism.

Photo by Tom Hermans from Unsplash

 This is against the first amendment of the constitution which protects the freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Recently these freedoms seem to be infringed by politicians. According to the New York Times, efforts to ban books doubled in 2022. Book removals occurred with parental concerns.

 Librarians and teachers have been accused …
Read More »

by Frank Messina

A trendy social media page.

Trends and social media capture and shine light on aspects of fashion people are unfamiliar with. Without a doubt, social media and trends influence fashion in many ways from bringing unique creators onto various platforms to voice their opinions and show off their styles, to multi-billion dollar corporations such as SHEIN, H&M, Fashion Nova, and Forever 21 showing off their latest collection of clothes.

While trends on social media can help people find and grow their personal style, many corporations promote unhealthy ways to consume and find style. An example of this is promoting fast fashion, which is cheap mass produced clothing that is focused on trends seen on social media or other places such as television. Social media has also generated a term known as micro-trends, which is a trend cycle that …
Read More »

A card was placed in the center of our AP Chemistry lab table, the possible trump: a jack of hearts. It would be a shame for any of us to not call it. All of us should, my friend Xyza, my other friend Sam, my other friend Willem, or even myself. It would give that card the highest value in the game. All eight of our eyes stared at our partners across from us, creating nonverbal hints about what would be the best idea.

Xyza holds her euchre hand out to show that she is the unlucky receiver of all four nines and a king.

“Pick it up,” Xyza said.

“I don’t know what I’m doing,” Willem said again, similar to the last time we played.

Laughter and groans erupted and remarks of ‘we’ve been playing this all year’ flew across …
Read More »

By: Katherine Senseman

   The teaching world was forever changed two years ago when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down schools across the United States. For two years, staff and students were limited to communications through screens and masks. In 2022 schools returned to relative capacity and educators were blindsided by the change in the students’ behavior and social skills. COVID-19 changed the way educators taught and the way students treated each other and their educators. 

   When the pandemic was declared schools shut down immediately and made the decision to go virtual they  left educators totally unprepared to teach in an asynchronous environment and without the training to support them. Educators were forced to teach over online communication apps like Zoom and Google classroom. They had to attempt to engage with students they couldn’t see and had no control over the student’s …
Read More »

Generational humor bonds teens from all over the United States together in a sense of understanding. 

Will I lose my identity if I untangle myself from Gen Z’s humor?

Feasting on internet memes takes a chunk out of almost every teen life. According to Pew Research Center, 95% of 13-17 year olds spend time on Youtube, 67% of the time on TikTok and 62% of the time on Instagram as of 2022. These Generation Z teens scroll on these sites in a world where internet guidelines and restrictions are still being shaped. What is considered offensive, inappropriate or dangerous is debated.

Generation Z’s humor is in question.

Generation Z is known for having unique humor consisting of sarcastic irony and internet jokes. Memes are at the center of internet humor. Trendy and relatable images and captions are shared daily when they appeal …
Read More »